PIA Dispatch - Friday, March 12, 2010

PGMA places Mindanao under state of calamity

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo placed Mindanao under a state of calamity to enable the national and local governments to cope with the crippling power crisis caused by dry spell attributed to the El Nino weather phenomenon.

The emergency move was recommended by National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) chair Norberto Gonzales, who is also the secretary of national defense, following meetings by a crisis group in the Cabinet tasked by the President to evaluate options in the Mindanao power problems, other than invoking presidential emergency powers or emergency measures under the so-called EPIRA law of 2001.

Among the options under consideration were: enjoining companies and their workers to operate at night when power usage is low; sharing of generating capacities among generator sets owners; continuous conservation measures and rotating brownouts (a form of managing demand); importing gen-sets and even power barges that have higher wattage; and mobilizing and releasing of calamity funds.

A declaration of a state of calamity allows mobilization of calamity funds from both the national and local governments to address crisis and would include the imposition of price controls on basic commodities. 

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar said, calamity funds will be used primarily to lease power generation capacities needed in Mindanao.

Highly dependent on hydro power, Mindanao has been experiencing power shortfalls and rotating blackouts since 2009 when the dry spell caused water levels in reservoirs to go below normal levels.